Mailbox



Jan.

F. c. RUETSCH 2,414,613

MAIL BOX 5 Filed; April 15, 1946' l I0 INVENTOR.

bag/w B ram/Fm Patented Jan. 21, 1947 MAILBOX Fred C. Ruetsch, Spokane, Wash, assignor to Columbia Electric and Manufacturing Company, Spokane, Wash.

Application April 15, 1946, Serial No. 662(207 Claims.

This invention relates to a mail box of the type 'mounted outside a house so that the letter carrier may deposit mail in the box and the mail removed at a later time by the occupant of the house. At the present time such boxes are cus tomarily provided with an upper inlet for allowing letters to be deposited therein and a front door which is opened when letters are to be removed. This has been unsatisfactory as the front door is liable to open if not tightly closed and allow letters to drop out of the mail box and when gloves are worn it is often difficult to release the door and open it.

Therefore one object of the invention is to provide a mail box open at its bottom and provided with a member which serves to prevent letters from dropping out of the bottom of the box but may be moved to a position allowing such movement of letters through the open bottom or lower end of the mail box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box wherein the device for retaining letters therein consists of a portion of the rear wall of the box which is bent to extend forwardly to such position that it bears against the inner surface of the front wall of the box, the lower end of the forwardly bent portion of the rear wall extending downwardly out of the box so that by pressing upon the same it may be moved rearwardly and letters allowed to drop out of the mail box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box having a lid or closure for its upper end which is pivotally mounted by pintles formed by bent ends of arms of a paper holder carried by the mail box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box which is of simple construction and may be manufactured at small cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved mailbox.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken alo line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

This improved mail box is formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and has a front wall I, side walls 2, and a rear wall 3, the open upper end of the box being normally closed by a lid or cover 4. The lid or cover is pivotally mounted by pintles 5 which engage through hinge ears 6 at opposite sides of the rear end: of the cover after being passed through openings formed in upper rear corners of the side walls 2 and are formed by bending ends of the arms I of a paper holder 8. This paper holder-straddles the box and when his swung forwardly paper may be placed transversely of the :box between the clamp or paper holder and the front wall of the box where they will be supported by the curved portions 9 of the holder. Other specific forms of paper holders may be provided and also the cover may be pivotally mounted in other ways. I The side walls 2 have rear edge portions bent inwardly to formflanges I0 and the rear wall 3 has'its upper portion brazed or otherwise firmly secured against inner surfaces of the flanges, the upper end of this rear wall being bent to form a lip l I projecting inwardly under the hinge ears 6 and the pintles 5. The rear wall is only secured to the flanges ID for a portion of its height, as shown in Figure 2, andbelow this portion the rear wall is bent to provide a lettersupporting portion or barrier I2 which extends forwardly and has its lower portion bearing against the lower end of the front wall, the sheet of resilient metal from which the rear wall is formed being that bent inwardly and downwardly to form a lip or tongue l3 which projects downwardly through the open lower end of the box.

When this mail box is in use it is mounted in upright position against a suitable support and when mail-is delivered the mail man raises the cover 4 and drops letters into the mail box through the open upper end thereof. The letters come to rest upon the barrier 12 which supports them in the box as long as it is in the position as shown in full lines in Figure 2. When letters are to be removed from the box it is merely necessary to apply rearward pressure to the lip l3 and force the barrier rearwardly to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 and letters in the box may then move downwardly and out through the open lower end of the box and into the hand used for applying pressure to the lip. The letters may thus be grasped and withdrawn from the box and the barrier will spring back to its original position and close the lower end of the box.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed is:

1. A mailbox comprising a body having a front wall and sid walls and open at its top and bottom, the side walls having their rear edge portions bent inwardly to form vertical flanges, and a rear wall formed from a sheet of resilient material having its upper portion secured against inner surfaces of said flanges and its free lower portion bent to extend forwardly at a downward in- (:line with its lower end portion bearing'against the inner surface of the lower end of the front wall and having its lower extremity bent inwardly and then downwardly to form a tongue extending downwardly through the open bottom of the box in position to have pressure applied to it to swing the free lower portion of the rear wall rearwardly out of blocking relation to the box.

2. A mail box comprising a body open at its top and bottom and having a front wall and side walls, inwardly extending flanges along rear edges of the side walls, and a rear wall for the body consisting of a sheet of resilient material having its upper portion secured against said flanges and its lower portion free and bentto extend forwardly at a downward incline to provide a barrier having its lower end bearing against the inner surface of the front wall and terminating in a lip projecting downwardly from the open lower end of the box.

3. A mail box comprising a body open at its top and bottom and having a front wall and side walls and 'a rear wall, the rear wall having its upper portion secured to the side walls and below its secured upper portion being free and bent to profrom the open lower end of the box.

5. A mail box comprising a body open at its top and bottom and having a front wall and side walls and a rear wall, the rear wall being provided with a barrier extending forwardly and bearing against the inner surface of the front wall and provided with a member projecting from the box in position to have pressure applied thereto to swing the barrier out of blocking-relation to the box.'

' V FRED C. RUETSCH. 

